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Product Notes

Someone needs have a talk with talented emcee Beanie Sigel--you know, the Beanie who blazed that "and...'em" punctuated verse on "Adrenaline" from the Roots' Things Fall Apart--because he's nowhere to be found on this album. While Sigel's debut, The Truth, contained thought-inducing head-nodders like "What Your Life Like" that forewarned listeners of the pitfalls of partaking in illegal subterranean activities, he's taken an odious U-turn on Gangster Ave. On "Watch Your Bitch Ass" Sigel celebrates exploiting women and flipping keys, and this trend carries on throughout his 14-track effort. Sadly, a good chunk of the beats, looped samples, and hooks that accompany this narrow subject matter are rehashed and equally uninspiring. "So What You Sayin'" features Sigel and label mate Memphis Bleek covering the EPMD classic of the same name for no good reason. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! On "Man's World," producer No I.D. employs one of the most overused James Brown-sampled records, while "Beanie (Mack Bitch)" and "Gangsta Gangsta" lift hooks from annoyingly familiar Dr. Dre NWA hits of the past. On the other hand, The Reason begins and ends with arguably two of the better cuts on the album, so you're not left completely hanging. On "Nothing Like It," Sigel's seeds take center stage and are touted as the reasons for him wanting to become a better Beanie man, while the album's closer "What Your Life Like 2" takes listeners on a graphic trip through the psyche of a prisoner. Guest appearances by Scarface ("Mom Praying") and Jay-Z ("Still Got Love for You") keep things interesting because on both tracks Sigel makes clear the impact his parents have had on his life--both the good and bad. But in the end, The Reason further solidifies Sigel's position in the rap world as an underachieving rapper who's on the right Roc-A-Fella career train, but aboard the wrong tracks. --Dalton Higgins